Ens203 – spring 2012
Role Playing Game approach
Overview
In this project students write a short story using a simplified version of Role Playing Game methods, such as Dungeons and Dragons and World of Darkness. The setting for the story is decided by dice, as well as the characteristics of the characters.
Groups
Students work in groups of 3-4. One student in each group is the game master. The other students play characters.
Game Master
The game master gets a series of alternatives which he has to role on for the premises of the story. He should roll on
- setting (for example: in Versló/your school, at the gym, on an Airplane, at a skiing lodge… )
- elements (for example: suspense, romance, horror)
- time of day
- super-natural or not
She / he should include a moral dilemma, and create a rouch outline of problems faced by characters in the story. Then she/ he adds details and NPC (non-playing characters) that seem fitting, at least 3 of those.
Characters:
The players create character sheets (form provided). They roll on characteristics such as:
- gender
- willpower
- morality (how selfish is the character)
- physical traits
- mental abilities
- social abilities
- occupation
They pick a name and add any details.
Action
The players then meet the game master and work through the problems set by him. The game master has absolute power, but he must listen to the players arguments as to why they should succeed at some task set by her/ him. At certain points a die should be used to decide whether a player succeeds at something or not.
End product
The group writes a story based on what happen, filling in details that might be necessary for it to make sense.
Historierouletten – a simple way of writing in a group